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FIELD MEETING IN SHEPPEYSaturday, 16 June 1951

Report by the Directors: A. G. Davis, F.G.S. and G. F. Elliott, F.G.S.

[Reeeired 9 July 1951]

TWENTY-NINE members and friends assembled at SouthKensington and proceeded to Sheppey, being joined by one

member at Rochester and four more on arrival. Lunch was taken onthe cliff at Warden Point, where one of the directors (G.F.E.) gave abrief account of the local geology and palaeontology and of the his­torical development of these studies. Dealing with the very rapidcoast erosion at this spot, it was mentioned that if the members ofthis, the ninth excursion of the Association, could see their pre­decessors of the first (1861), they would behold them some 300 yds.out to sea and 140ft. above the waves, the whole of this mass of landhaving fallen away in the last ninety years, including the site ofWarden Church, which was seen by the Association in 1875 at thecliff-edge. Descending to the beach, search was made for fossils inthe pyritic and septarian accumulations there; it was noted by thedirectors and others familiar with Warden Point and Bay, thatspecimens were much less abundant than in former years, no doubtdue to the fact that the heavy cliff-falls of the previous winter hadnot yet been fully washed away and sifted by the tides. The partyproceeded westwards, collecting en route, to Barrow Brook, whereMr. D. Curry drew attention to the anomalous bedding in cliff andforeshore as indicated by septaria and pyrites: this, being the stablecliff of Davis's division b (Proc. Geol. Assoc., 1936,47, p. 330), wasconsidered to indicate a possible fold, fault, or similar disturbance,rather than slumping. The directors commented on the very markederosional effect of the tiny stream here on the clay near the coast, anda local member, Mr. H. Cameron, mentioned that in wet weathervisible movement of the slumping clay occasionally occurred.Ascending the gorge, the party returned by the cliff-path, noting thecracks presaging further slips. Tea was taken in the garden of WardenPost Office. It was found that a fair selection of the commonerfossils had been collected by the party as a whole; unusual finds in­cluded a septarian nest of echinoids and an eighth or ninth centurydog-headed bronze pin. One of the directors (A.G.D.) exhibited asmall selection of early books dealing with Sheppey.

A vote of thanks to the directors and excursion secretary, MissJ. M. Spires, was proposed by Mr. W. N. Edwards, and the partyreturned to London.